Intel’s blogger challenge

So, the secret is out, I was the mystery blogger over on the Intel blogger challenge. They offered me a really nice Sony laptop, but I turned it down and did this for free. Call me a sucker but I thought the project was fun enough to participate in without compensation. It is a nice laptop, though. I’ll write more about that later — our deal was that it’s a demo loaner for a month. We’re covering several questions like “why do you blog, what’s your favorite blog, etc.”

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Author: Robert Scoble

Scoble gives you a front-row seat on the future. Especially on platforms that use the fourth user interface, spatial computing, like virtual reality or mixed reality that will come soon thanks to his own front-row seat as entrepreneur in residence at UploadVR.com and his past experience as futurist at Rackspace.
Best place to find Scoble? On his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/scobletechnology/
View all posts by Robert Scoble

Robert – suggestion. Stop refusing gifts or cash for anything – instead make it clear that you’ll accept the “gift” and either donate it directly to a charity, or sell it on eBay and donate the proceeds to charity.

Hmm – there’s a simple Web Site idea – a clearinghouse that takes “stuff” from people like you and converts it to charitable cash – you name the recipient.

But really – I wouldn’t say “no” to Intel when you could turn a “yes” into a new free laptop for some worthy organization.

Robert – suggestion. Stop refusing gifts or cash for anything – instead make it clear that you’ll accept the “gift” and either donate it directly to a charity, or sell it on eBay and donate the proceeds to charity.

Hmm – there’s a simple Web Site idea – a clearinghouse that takes “stuff” from people like you and converts it to charitable cash – you name the recipient.

But really – I wouldn’t say “no” to Intel when you could turn a “yes” into a new free laptop for some worthy organization.

Sam: OK, but most of the times gifts to me get reported. So, how do I report that that gift was passed along to a charity? Also, many times the manufacturers don’t let you do that anyway (they don’t want their freebies showing up elsewhere).

Sam: OK, but most of the times gifts to me get reported. So, how do I report that that gift was passed along to a charity? Also, many times the manufacturers don’t let you do that anyway (they don’t want their freebies showing up elsewhere).

Robert – re tax concern- make it clear when you do the gigs that the items, services, cash, etc. will go directly to the charity of our choice. You would, technically, never be party to the exchange of products, funds, etc. I agree with Rob. It’s far far better to take these gifts. There are lots of important charities out there that can always use a new laptop, monitor, server, software, etc.

Robert – re tax concern- make it clear when you do the gigs that the items, services, cash, etc. will go directly to the charity of our choice. You would, technically, never be party to the exchange of products, funds, etc. I agree with Rob. It’s far far better to take these gifts. There are lots of important charities out there that can always use a new laptop, monitor, server, software, etc.

[…] The challenge appeared in the feed reader this morning, via A-lister Robert Scoble, who is one of the mystery bloggers that has been hired for the challenge. And by hired I mean given a laptop, that Robert doesn’t intend to keep, probably fearing Payperpost-like reactions from his readers. […]

Dear Mr Scoble,
I know you are very busy but I think this might interest you.

The BBC would like to offer you the opportunity to broadcast a special end of year message on the most popular breakfast show in the world.

The World Today has chosen a select group of leading international figures – including politicians, academics, musicians, writers and scientists – to share their thoughts as the year draws to a close in the form of a greeting card.

This could be to one person, or a group of people, or indeed the whole world. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, for example, has recorded a message to the detained Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

The idea is for you to to share your personal thoughts on an issue that has been in your mind this year. The greeting cards will be broadcast on the World Today throughout December. They can be anything from 45 seconds to a minute and a half. (250 words)

The World Today is the breakfast news programme in English of the BBC World Service, which has a global radio audience of 163 million people.

Dear Mr Scoble,
I know you are very busy but I think this might interest you.

The BBC would like to offer you the opportunity to broadcast a special end of year message on the most popular breakfast show in the world.

The World Today has chosen a select group of leading international figures – including politicians, academics, musicians, writers and scientists – to share their thoughts as the year draws to a close in the form of a greeting card.

This could be to one person, or a group of people, or indeed the whole world. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, for example, has recorded a message to the detained Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

The idea is for you to to share your personal thoughts on an issue that has been in your mind this year. The greeting cards will be broadcast on the World Today throughout December. They can be anything from 45 seconds to a minute and a half. (250 words)

The World Today is the breakfast news programme in English of the BBC World Service, which has a global radio audience of 163 million people.

The idea that somehow not accepting freebies is a sign of integrity is ridiculous. Robert’s integrity, or lack thereof exists outside of gifts. If he possesses integrity, then a gift can’t change that. If he doesn’t, the lack of a gift or the refusal of a gift will not…’gift’ him with integrity.

Saying “this person is more trustworthy because they turn down gifts” is a sucker’s bet, and a great way to get manipulated. My opinions of Robert, good and bad, don’t hinge on his toy collection’s source. The world needs to stop accepting face value snap judgments as valid.

As far as why I have a sit?

Because the screaming in the car caused by the rampant stupidity of humanity was giving me a sore throat. The internet doesn’t make it better, but it lets me yell in a more efficient manner.

The idea that somehow not accepting freebies is a sign of integrity is ridiculous. Robert’s integrity, or lack thereof exists outside of gifts. If he possesses integrity, then a gift can’t change that. If he doesn’t, the lack of a gift or the refusal of a gift will not…’gift’ him with integrity.

Saying “this person is more trustworthy because they turn down gifts” is a sucker’s bet, and a great way to get manipulated. My opinions of Robert, good and bad, don’t hinge on his toy collection’s source. The world needs to stop accepting face value snap judgments as valid.

As far as why I have a sit?

Because the screaming in the car caused by the rampant stupidity of humanity was giving me a sore throat. The internet doesn’t make it better, but it lets me yell in a more efficient manner.

[…] challenge appeared in the feed reader this morning, via A-lister Robert Scoble, who is one of the mystery bloggers that has been hired for the challenge. And by hired I mean given a laptop, that Robert […]